Depleted Knicks Emerge Victorious Over Jazz

Jeremy Lin scored a career-high 28 points in his first career start, Steve Novak added a season-best 19, and the New York Knicks overcame the absence of Amare Stoudemire and early loss of Carmelo Anthony to beat the Utah Jazz 99-88 on Monday night.

Stoudemire left the team to join his family in Florida after older brother Hazell was killed there earlier Monday in a car crash, then Anthony left after just six minutes with a strained right groin.

Despite missing two All-Stars and using a lineup of second-teamers, the Knicks won their second straight thanks to another remarkable performance from Lin, the former Harvard point guard.

Al Jefferson scored 22 points in a disappointing effort for the Jazz in the opener of a brief two-game road trip.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)